Biodiesel Performance

Using vegetable oil to fuel a car is not exactly a novel idea. Rudolph Diesel was experimenting with peanut oil back in the 19th century, but diesel engines were adapted to burn petroleum distillate which at the beginning of the 20th century was cheap and plentiful. That no longer is the case, though, and a lot of people have turned their attention to biodiesel. But what about biodiesel performance? Are cars running on plant-derived oil reliable?

In order to achieve optimal biodiesel performance, fuel-grade biodiesel production must meet strict industry specifications such as the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Raw vegetable oil does not officially meet biodiesel specifications and is not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Generally speaking, a diesel vehicle does not need conversion work in order to operate on biodiesel. Minor adaptations on the hose and fuel line materials that contact the fuel and fine tuning the engine may be necessary to achieve better biodiesel performance. The good news is that biodiesel performance is not inferior to conventional diesel fuels, as verified by several performance tests carried out by different companies and organizations.

Cold weather is one of the biggest concerns in terms of biodiesel performance. The National Biodiesel Board says that up to a 20 percent blend of biodiesel can be used anytime in the year. Like regular fossil diesel fuel, it gels in the winter, but can be treated similarly to No.2 diesel. "Using B20 throughout the winter months just takes a little preparation and good fuel management practices. A good fuel distributor will make sure your fuel is treated for optimum cold weather performance", says the Board.